Officials optimistic about fairgrounds
E.B. council will
continue talks with
fair association
The East Brunswick Township Council will soon conclude negotiations with the Middlesex County Fair Association over the use of its 50-plus acre fairgrounds, used by the township’s soccer leagues, officials announced at Monday’s council meeting.
After meeting in closed session for almost an hour, the council members reopened the meeting and unanimously approved a resolution allowing township officials to continue negotiations with the association through the holiday season. Township Attorney Michael J. Baker said the negotiations will conclude with a letter of intent, to be followed with a new contract between the township and the fair association. The association shocked officials in September when it announced it would no longer lease the fairgrounds to the township.
Baker did not clarify what the letter of intent would say.
Mayor William Neary said earlier this month that he was concentrating on purchasing the fairgrounds rather than continuing to lease the Cranbury Road property. However, the private, nonprofit fair association has said the property is not for sale.
The two parties have held several private meetings recently in order to negotiate a resolution to the issue.
Neary said this week that both parties are committed to continuing to allow the children to use the fairgrounds’ soccer and football fields. Because the negotiations are still under way, Neary said he could not comment on the township’s intentions regarding the purchase or continued lease of the land. The mayor would only say that officials expect to reach a finalized resolution with the fair association "very soon."
The contract allowing the township to use the fairgrounds’ athletic fields and to access the athletic fields at Dideriksen Park, which is renewed annually, expires Dec. 31.
According to the terms of the contract, the two parties arrange a calendar of events to be held on the property each year. The township uses the grounds for numerous soccer games and other events, while the association sometimes rents the grounds to outside groups in order to raise funds. The contract stipulates that the association has the right to schedule an event for the same day as an already scheduled township event if it chooses to do so.
The association has complained that the township has not always abided by the terms of the contract, and that East Brunswick has held up permits to make it hard for the association to host outside events when athletic games are scheduled.
Barbara Foerter, president of the association, has also said the association has been losing money in recent years and wants to be able to schedule more revenue-producing events.
The dispute has come at a tense time with the fair association among the parties suing the township over property rezoning. In 1999, about 25 percent of the town was rezoned so future developers would only be able to build one home per 6 acres, as opposed to one home per 2 acres. The fairgrounds is one of the areas affected, and the association is still a plaintiff in one of several suits against the township.
The fair association has said the lawsuit has nothing to do with the decisions regarding the lease of the athletic fields.
Many residents have said the township’s sports organizations are still in need of more soccer fields, even if the township is able to secure the fairgrounds for continued use.
According to Dave Stahl, president of the East Brunswick Soccer Club, there is not enough space on the fairgrounds alone for the 1,400-member youth soccer league. He recently recommended that the council purchase more space for athletic fields, and that it possibly should build a community center.

